Puzzled
by Hell's Tinkerbell
Summary: The sequel to a Captivity by Clowns.  It will be a battle of wits as intelligent teenagers are put into a survival game with TDK version of Riddler who tests them all.  Read at your own risk.  OC/OC
1. Payback

It had been a typical day during the month of January. Snow blanketed the cold streets and sidewalks of Gotham City. The sky had been filled with gray clouds with the sun scarcely glowing from behind them. It was perfect for Dawn Kingston who enjoyed the restful slumber of the earth. She saw the beauty in the gloomy atmosphere and savored the quiet moments where it allowed her to contemplate the following day's events.

It seemed to be a ordinary morning when the girl walked to her school. She was clad in a black hooded sweatshirt with flaming wings upon the back, hip hugger gray pants, and black leather boots. Her hair being dyed to an electric blue with black streaks and fashioned into pig tails. Upon her back had been a new backpack filled with the necessary textbooks. A smile emerged while the boots crunched the snow from beneath her feet, leaving tracks behind her upon entering Gotham High's parking lot.

The peaceful silence had been broken by the sound of squeaking metal echoing from across the parking lot. At first, the sound annoyed her since it interrupted her peaceful mood. After a few more moments of listening to the odd rhythm, she became intrigued by it and followed the echo in order to investigate. Once she approached closer to it, the girl could hear the sound of orgasmic moans and rocketing springs repeating their rhythm. _Someone is having morning sex in their car?_ she wondered while raising a brow. A wicked grin emerged at the thought of catching a teacher at their moment of being uninhibited people instead of the professional drones that most students have known. Dawn entered the sound's vicinity and widened her eyes to see a dark red Geo compact car rocking back and forth upon its wheels in a fast pace. _Isn't that Mrs. Dawson's car? _she wondered again. Its windows were covered by a white fog and she could see a humanoid figure standing upon its limbs in the backseat and thrusting its pelvic region.

A metaphorical light bulb had activated within Dawn's mind and thought, _This act is to be documented so this will be blackmailing evidence against a teacher. They have been nothing but shit heads. Oh, revenge will be mine!_ The wicked grin became a sinister smile while removing her cell phone from a pocket, activated its video camera feature, and began to record the scandalous event. A loud moan resounded from inside the car followed by a large hand that smacked against a passenger window with a light thud. The sudden motion surprised her yet satisfying since the hand had smeared a portion of the fog from the glass which allowed her to record a clear image. She observed the two lovers to be Mrs. Olivia Dawson and Tyson Kirkpatrick being completely nude and engaging in sexual intercourse. The blond young man had the older brown haired woman beneath him with her legs wrapped around his hips.

Dawn departed from her observing spot and insured to stay out of their sight while stifling wicked laughter. Her past times of being sent to the principal's office had allowed her to memorize to two important cellular telephone numbers, the ones of principal and Britney Fisher. She wanted to have Dawson be punished by the principal and report to Britney since Tyson was her supposed boyfriend and wanted her to suffer. In the midst of crouching behind a truck's wheel and body, she sent this poignant footage to their devices and thought, _Let the mayhem begin!_

Five minutes had passed since the sending of the messages and Dawn had walked casually to her first period Biology class. At the moment of claiming her seat and desk, an announcement spoke from an intercom upon the wall. "Mrs. Dawson and Tyson Kirkpatrick, report to the principal's office immediately! School is hereby dismissed for the day!" the angry transmitted voice blared. Her eyes widened and joined the ecstatic students' cheers while they ran out of the classroom. The hallways were flooded with youthful joy and unruly celebration. Papers were tossed about in the air in the manner of confetti, shaving cream had been indiscriminately sprayed upon random students, and screams of excitement echoed against the walls.

After taking her leave of the celebration and stepping out into the parking lot, Dawn took notice of Britney who sat upon the entrance steps crying and being surrounded by cheerleaders who consoled her. "How could he do this to me?" she howled between sobs. Dawn walked past the group, hoping to be unnoticed by them. "YOU!" Britney roared. She froze in her tracks and turned to face the upset and bitter girl. "Yeah?" she asked casually. "This is your doing, isn't it?" Britney demanded. "Just what am I accused of?" she asked again, appearing bewildered. "You sent that, didn't you?" Britney shouted. "Sent what? I don't have time for your shit." Dawn said and walked away from the group.

She could hear thundering footsteps from behind her and immediately turned round to punch Britney in the face who had her fists raised with the intent of attacking her. After being in the Joker's captivity, it had heightened Dawn's combative skills and reflexes. "I'm going to so kill you!" Britney yelled while having her face glowing crimson. As much as Britney attempted to intimidate Dawn, she could only laugh at this pathetic act and said mockingly, "Is the drama queen throwing a royal temper tantrum?" This small and dainty young woman had been equal to a yapping Chihuahua dog compared to Joker who was a tall muscular man and fierce as a Doberman Pinscher. Her past conflicts with him had made her a fearless fighter and she stood calmly before Britney who had continued to be angry despite her bleeding nose.

Britney sprang toward her with the hands reaching for Dawn's hair. She shoved the aggravated girl to ground who fell upon her buttocks and this time kicked harshly kicked her in the stomach. Britney bawled childishly while curling into a fetal ball while crying louder. "Get over yourself." Dawn said coldly and spat on her face. She looked to the frightened cheerleaders who ran fearfully at the moment she glared upon them.

It was a brief school day which had been scandalous, exciting, and slightly chaotic. Dawn had assumed that tomorrow will be a nicer day, sadly the next day will be pure misery.

Meanwhile, in the principal's office, the lovers of the parking lot had stood before Mr. Washington's desk. "Mrs. Olivia Dawson, you have brought shame to this school. This violation will not be tolerated under my supervision. You do know that your **lovemaking **is a **felony! **We can not have students thinking that it is easy to manipulate teachers with carnal lust. You are hereby stripped of your duties as a teacher. Our hall monitor will escort you from school grounds, immediately!" Mr. Washington said with an ire of professionalism and stern anger. Mrs. Dawson departed from the office silently, while staring at the ground and having a few stray tears trickle from the corners of eyes, wearing a sullen expression on her face.

The principal had turned his attention to Tyson who immediately became frightened, anticipating a chastisement or a punishment to be placed upon him. The boy said quickly, "Look, Mr. W. She seduced me and could not help myself…" He had been cut off by the angry man who said, "It does not matter who seduced who, young man! What you have done was wrong and you will never play football again! You will be suspended for two weeks! Your parents will be immediately contacted and have them escort you to your home." Tyson stormed out of the office and slammed the door upon exiting the room.

Mr. Washington reclined in his tall swivel chair to release a heavy sigh and began to stare at the ceiling to calm himself. He turned to his desktop computer which had been logged into AOL and an automated voice spoke from its speakers, "You've got mail." This event had surprised him since it had been rare for him to receive email during this time of the day. He opened the email from the inbox, the curiosity compelled him to read this message:

_To Principal Frederick Washington,_

_It has come to my attention that a position is available. I would like to request an interview this afternoon at 3 pm. My resume is below this letter and will be to your satisfaction._

_Edward Nigma._

The principle raised a brow and assumed that the sender, Edward Nigma, is a presumptuous person. Despite his judgment, he had scrawled down the screen to read the resume. To his surprise, the information had indeed satisfied him. He had learned that this man had graduated from Harvard University with degrees in psychology, philosophy, literature, and bio-science. Mr. Washington had sent a replying message which read,

_To Edward Nigma,_

_Your resume is very satisfying and will grant your request for an interview. I am anxious to meet you in my office._

_Principal Fredrick Washington._


	2. Guess Who is Coming To Dinner?

The next day, the students seated themselves in their first period biology class. They wondered who would take Mrs. Dawson's place and at such short notice. A group of jocks hoped that the next one would be another attractive older woman like her. At the other side of the room, a group of girls longed for the replacement to be a handsome princely man. As for Dawn, she did not care for either wish. She simply wanted the next teacher to be nicer and not think so highly of themselves.

The door slowly creaked open to have a short man dressed in a dark green business suit step into the room. He seemed to have an innocent face with delicate features, the hair being of a light auburn, and light green eyes which surveyed the classroom with a quick sweeping motion within their sockets. The man gave the students a pleasant smile and said, "Good morning, class. I am your new teacher, Edward Nigma. I trust that we will cooperate beautifully for the rest of year. Now, I would like for each of you to write a paragraph about yourselves and read it in front of the class so I may get to know all of you better."

The students released a resounding groan of displeasure as they began to prepare their pencils and papers for the small assignment. Dawn could only stare at her paper upon the desk while holding her gray mechanical pencil and raising a brow. _What is there to write about myself? I am not that interesting…_she thought. She decided to only write the truth about her hobbies and dumpster-diving adventures. Nigma had circled the class at a casual and slow pace, looking over the shoulders of the scrawling students and seemed to enjoy the sound of pencils scratching vigorously upon the hard surfaces of desks. He eventually returned to the desk by the door and said, "Pencils down everyone. I will call out to each of you by last name on the roll call sheet."

The students obeyed the order and emerged from the seats when called upon by Nigma. He seemed mostly disinterested by the students' presentations, not finding them the slightest bit intriguing to his standards. "Kingston, Dawn. Please come to the front and read your paragraph." he called out. She stood before the class and said in frank manner, "It would not be as interesting as the rest of them." "The only true loser is the one who does not try. Please read and let me be the judge of that." he said, displaying the pleasant smile while crossing his arms. She gave him an uneasy expression, released a sigh, and muttered, "Okay, here goes nothing…" Dawn cleared her throat and said, "My name is Dawn Kingston and I am an occasional prankster, user of handicrafts, and dumpster scavenger. I sometimes find junk and repair or restore them. My most favorite hobbies are playing Tetris and painting. There are books of sci-fi, horror, philosophy, and paranormal history that surround my bed. And music CDs of obscure bands on my dresser. That is all I have to say about myself." The girl then quickly returned to her seat. A few snickers of laughter had been released among the other girls as Nigma raised a brow while pondering.

"You are a junior tinker, Miss Kingston. It is rare to encounter a girl who plays with junk. Tell me, is Tinkerbell your best friend?" he said in a teasing manner. "No, I squashed her." she retorted while giving him a hard glare. The classroom roared with laughter after witnessing this exchange of wits. He could not help but chuckle with a shake of his, bemused. "My, you have passion. Teaching you will not be dull. It would have been nicer if you dyed your hair green." he commented. She seemed a bit confused by the suggestion and then began to become curious as she saw a Mona Lisa smile forming on his face. "No, I do not want to look like a giant booger. Besides, there are plenty of tissues left behind on that desk for you. Do not fall in the trash can while you are at it." she said with a one-sided grin. The students laughed harder and louder at this reply as Nigma's face began to be stern with furrowed brows. "Detention for you, young lady! It will be served here after school!" he commanded. "It's a date." she remarked. He became angrier as the entire class laughed hard once more.

Hours passed as Nigma waited patiently for Dawn to return to his classroom to serve her detention. He frowned to see her enter the room while unzipping her jacket. "You did not get me flowers, some date you are." she said with a mock pout. "Is everything a joke with you?" he asked. "Yeah, I am still waiting for the punch line." she replied. He slammed a fist into his desk while standing abruptly from his seat. "You are on thin ice, my dear…" he said in a low, stern tone. "Let me guess…This is the first time you ever dealt with kids like me? Keep this up and you will get an aneurism soon." she said with a smirk. "Just tell me why you are like this." he demanded. "I could tell you about my fucked up childhood or what happened when I was on the news two months ago, but that would just ruin my day. Let's say that I do not want to be like everyone else, fake and putting on some act. It is all just a joke for me to laugh at." she said while releasing an exhausted sigh. He began to grin while calming his mind, finding her answer to be intriguing. "I understand now. It is a mental defense for you to be happy. You have my pity." he said in a gentle tone. Dawn's face contorted with confusion said, "**Now** you pity me? This morning I was nothing but some punk for you to punish. Why change your attitude now?" He chuckled and said, "I needed to know the core cause of your behavior. You are smarter than you look." "Uh…thanks for saying that." she said, her confusion increased. "You may go home now, Miss Kingston. I advise you to control your temper in the future. It may cause your undoing." he said in a friendly way, displaying the same Mona Lisa smile as before. "Thank you…Mr. Nigma…You're very different from the other teachers I have met." she said, being caught of guard from the unexpected kindness. His smile had bothered her senses upon leaving the room.

She began to walk to her apartment home while pondering, _He is hiding something, I just know it. This Mr. Nigma is a total stranger yet he knows something that I do not know. I have to find out what that is._ Eventually, she arrived to the front door, unlocked it with her key and to her shock and dismay…Dawn saw her mother being kissed upon the lips by Edward Nigma himself.

Dawn's keys fell to the floor with a loud clatter and jingle against the hardwood surface. Her jaw hung open in surprise with widened eyes. After a moment of horrifying shock had past, she flung her pointer finger in Nigma's direction and yelled, "What the **fuck** are you doing here?" The couple looked to Dawn immediately. Her mother had seemed ashamed while blushing and attempting to regain composure. She resembled Dawn in every way despite the eyes, forehead, and chin; being rounder. Her eyes being of a hazel green; fine wrinkles about the eye sockets; short brown hair; and two inches shorter than her daughter. Nigma looked to her casually; gave her the same Mona Lisa grin; and said, "It is about time you came home."

Her face began to contort into aggravated rage, the eyebrows narrowed, her teeth were clenched as well as the fists. "First you barge into my school, now you invade my home and my mom's lips! What's next? Just tell me right now!" she yelled. Nigma took a few steps backwards with his hands raised and said, "Whoa whoa whoa Calm down…It was just pure serendipity that I happened to be here." "Bullshit!" she yelled again. Her mother rushed to Dawn and said, "Sweetie, this is the nice man that I met at work." "I knew you were desperate, but you could have picked someone better." she said. "I don't see you with a man!" Mrs. Kingston snapped. "That is because my school is full of boys." she said in a matter-of-fact tone. Nigma stood between the angry family and said in a gentle manner, "Ladies, there is no need to fight. How about we discuss this over dinner? Just the three of us?" Both released heavy sighs and nodded to him reluctantly. "Good! Now I will make us a meal that is fit for royalty." he said and beamed a pleasant smile.

The small family sat at the dining room table. The table was a glass surface that featured a fairy statue standing in the center and a rolled up newspaper bound by a rubber band. What made the situation seem surreal, had been a bowl of Hershey's kisses sitting next to the statue with a piece of paper next to it. The paper had the name, Dawn, scrawled upon it in spiky cursive handwriting. _He is just trying to sweeten his way into my life with this candy. It is so obvious._ she thought. She had read too many books and watched several movies to know that a suspicious or potential stepparent is not to be trusted with any treats that they offer to the children. To be cautious of any poisonings, she had simply ignored the candy as tempting as it had been to her appetite. To add more to her cautious nature, she had looked to the mirror mounted upon the wall of the dining room. The looking glass had reflected the activity of Nigma in the kitchen and had been convenient for the girl to monitor the man.

"Edward told me how you called him a giant booger today." Mrs. Kingston said icily while leaning forward with Dawn sitting to her right. "He called me Tinkerbell so it was fair." she said, defensively. Her mother laughed and said, "You two have something in common, both of you are witty!" "Yeah, we are alike. Both of us want to hate each other." she muttered. "Oh, come on, sweetie. Give him a chance. He is really sweet when you get to know him. I had a wonderful date with him today so **please **do not spoil this for me." Mrs. Kingston pleaded. "I have yet to see this supposed sweetness, Mom." she said. "He is just being funny." her mother said in defense. "Then, he needs a new act." she said. "Are you going to be like this to every man I date?" Mrs. Kingston exclaimed. "Not until you stop being desperate." she said while glaring.

"Can you blame her for being hostile?" Mr. Nigma's voice asked from behind Dawn. The girl slightly jumped in her chair from the sudden intrusion into their conversation and how quietly he approached the dining room. He walked to the table and placed a steaming pot upon a settled plate before them. "She is simply scared of what is unfamiliar and is responding to her primal need to guard her mother from an intruder. After the disappearance of her father, it is normal for her to be bitter." he explained. Mrs. Kingston blinked her eyes in surprise and became dumbfounded by the psychoanalysis he had made. Dawn became frustrated by this and felt as though she was a test subject to be studied instead of a human to be respected. "Oh, Eddie, you continue to amaze me." her mother said with a smile. "You two ought to spend more time together." Mr. Nigma commented. The girl snickered beneath her breath, shook her head in dismay, and said, "This is starting to become more like an after-school special by the minute." "A special with a happy ending, perhaps." he commented again. "I doubt it." she said. "We shall see…" he said casually with the creepy smile once more.

He then began to put plates, forks, and cups upon the table. The cups were filled with Thai iced tea and the plates held lo mein noodles with an assortment of diced vegetables after serving them. "I have to admit that it does smell good." Dawn said reluctantly while staring at her plate. He chuckled and said, "Why, thank you. It would nicer if you ate it." She watched her mother feast ravenously upon the food then lifted her fork from the table, slowly twirled the utensil to entwine the noodles, and forced the food into her mouth. The girl expected a bitter or awful taste, instead her tongue could only detect a hearty wheat and spicy flavor. "Wow…" she said while stunned and continued to eat more of the contents. "I am happy to see you ladies enjoying the food." he commented. "Oh, Eddie, I just have to get the recipe from you!" Mrs. Kingston exclaimed. "It is on the last page of your cookbook." he said. Dawn could not help but laugh at him stating an obvious fact while her mother blushed in embarrassment.

"That is the first time I heard you laugh." he said while raising a brow in surprise. "Only when it is the right time." she said while grinning sheepishly. "So you are indeed cynical. I was worried that you were of the subculture known as emo." he said while grinning. "It is not smart to label. Those are for soup cans and not people." she said, mimicking his manner of speech. He became flustered and grumbled under his breath. What was once anger then converted into petrified fright. "S-s-s-s-sp-sp-sp-spi-spi-SPIDER!" he screamed as his face blanched. A moment had passed and the family immediately took notice of a large brown spider that emerged from beneath his shirt and crawled upon his neck towards his face. Her mother recoiled and scooted backwards while Dawn grinned wickedly and seized this moment as a means of revenge. "Dawn, kill it!" Mrs. Kingston screeched while pointing wildly pointing at the spider.

"I can't disobey my mom." she said innocently while snatching the newspaper from the table. The weapon had been raised as Mr. Nigma shook his head vigorously, anticipating her plan to strike the spider upon his face. "This will hurt you more than it hurts me." she said and delivered a mighty blow to the arachnid.

The impact was intense enough to smash the creature's head inward, leaving a bodily residue and a red bruise upon his face, and nearly sent the man toppling out of his chair. "OW!" he bellowed and held his sore cheek. Mr. Nigma ran to kitchen and proceeded to wash his face with the aid of the sink's faucet and dishwashing fluid. Dawn looked to her stunned mother and said sweetly, "Problem solved."


	3. Invitation

September 1, 2010

_It was the same drudging day for Eliot Rosenwinkle, a lonely and intelligent boy who did not conform to the fashion standards of the other teenagers. He was a lanky teenager who had strawberry blond hair, pale skin, and his face full of freckles. The boy longed to have a girlfriend yet always felt awkward and nervous while having the slightest contact with them. However, there were other boys that shared the same lifestyle and found friendship with one another. It made the daily lunch hour in the cafeteria tolerable despite the harassment they receive from jocks. _

_This day had become different by Eliot's attention being brought to a new student who had been new to the school, Dawn Kingston. He watched her enter the room with fascination. She was attractive to him because she had been so boldly different. Her eyes being lined with black eyeliner stood out to him and could not help but be captivated. He pictured her as a beautiful Valkyrie riding on her horse in the heat of battle with a double bladed axe. Someone who is as dangerous as she is a figure of beauty. Dawn glanced to him for a moment and his eyes widened in shock to have their eyes meet each other._

_This contact had stunned him to the point to where he began to choke on the candy bar he had been eating while gazing intently on the new girl. His face began to turn bright red while coughing and punching at his chest in attempt to expel the candy from his throat. At his moment of distress, he did not notice his friends smacking him upon the back and asking if he is okay. Suddenly, a pair of slender arms encircled his torso, clasped their hands together, and thrusted the fist into the base of his rib cage twice. The act had enough power to force the lodged food from his mouth, the projectile being launched several feet into the air, and land upon a blonde cheerleader's head. _

_While a group of girls laughed at the cheerleader's plight, Eliot felt a hand rub his spine, and heard a girl's voice ask, "Are you okay? Can you breathe now?" He gasped and coughed harshly while nodding vigorously, the flushed face returning to its normal color. The boy turned to face the girl and discovered to his awkward amazement that his heroine had been Dawn. "I-uh-uh-I want to kiss you now!" he blurted out impulsively and immediately blushed. "What?" she exclaimed, in dismay. "I-I-I want to thank you…" he stammered while giving a nervous smile and scratching the back of his neck. "Ooookaaaay…Well, you're welcome then and remember that food goes in the esophagus and not the trachea." she said, while raising a brow and walking away from his table._

Several months passed, Eliot's infatuation with Dawn increased by the day with each encounter he had with her. He admired her defiant behavior as well as her intelligence and strength. Though, he had been intimidated to have any conversations with her. The pressure of Valentine's day approaching had increased his nervous tension to declare his feelings to her. _I do not know what to say or do to get her to like me._ he thought while sitting behind her in biology class. He wanted to reach out and touch her now blue hair, but refrained from doing so, not wanting to come across as a pervert or scary boy. His hand returned to the desk while releasing a sad sigh.

Once the class period ended, he watched her leave with a dreamy sigh intermixed with melancholy. "You like Miss Kingston, Mr. Rosenwinkle?" Nigma casually asked. "Yes…" he said while looking to the ground and frowning. "Do not be embarrassed about it. It is normal to be attracted to an opposite of one's self." Nigma said with a smile. "Are you going to tell Dawn that I like her?" he asked. "No, I do not meddle with affairs of the heart. However, I do advise to say what you feel about her face to face." Nigma said while looking him in the eyes. "That is a problem I can not solve." he said while sighing. "Of course you can solve it, let's say that fate will give you a helping hand." Nigma said confidently while grinning.

"I hope you are right." he said with doubt.

Eliot departed from the classroom to walk to his locker in the crowded hallway. A folded piece of paper protruded from the vent in the locker's door. He had hoped to have it be a love letter from Dawn, but to his disappointment it had been an invitation to a event. It read:

**Congratulations Eliot Rosenwinkle,**

**You have been chosen to attend a pilot TV game show called, Risky Brain. The event will be held at Gotham City Ice Rink at 6 PM. We wish you the best of luck and hope to see you there.**

A group of young people gathered at the ice rink beneath the night sky. Light strings attached to poles surrounded the area and illuminated the rink with a golden glow. Eliot stepped upon the ice while wearing a pair of white rental ice skates. He glided slowly while wobbling upon the blades. _I can not skate worth a shit. Why did I bother to come here?_ he thought with frustration. Just as he was about to fall forward upon the ice, a pair of hands grabbed his hand and arm. His eyes widened upon contact and felt himself being jerked upright to stand properly. "This is the second time I come to your rescue!" a familiar girl's voice exclaimed. He turned to see Dawn, rosy cheeked and chuckling. "Yes, it is…I-uh-can not skate." he said while giving a sheepish grin. "Is this your first time skating?" she asked while raising a brow. He nodded and having bright pink blush tinge his pale cheeks. "Well…if you want, I can give you quick lessons." she said slowly. "I would love that." he said, the pink blush being converted to a bright red. She skidded to be in front of him and offered her outstretched hands. "Hold onto them and watch my feet carefully." she said. His hands shakily clutched hers, being nervous with having more interaction with Dawn.

He held her hands tightly while leaning forward, having her support him, and watched her feet shift upon the ice. "Think of ice skating as a sequence. You have to shift your weight and feet at the right time and speed." she said with a small grin. "Oh, I see it now. Almost like electrons and positrons mutually exchanging mass and energy in a vacuum." he said while smiling. "Yes, but like any skill it takes practice." she added. "Why are you helping me?" he asked. It was a question he wanted to ask before the lessons began. "I…just did not want to see you fall…really…" she said slowly while lowering her head, pretending to monitor his feet to hide her blush. He chuckled to watch her reaction and commented, "This is a different side to you." "Be flattered because I hardly show it to anyone else." she said firmly while glaring. He laughed and said, "Ah, so the bad girl has a soft side." "I could just let you go now if I wanted." she said with a wicked grin. "No no no! I will be quiet!" he said with sudden fright. "Good, now let's pick up the speed. You are starting to get the hang of it." she said and chuckled again.

They glided together across the ice, Eliot mimicking her movements as Dawn tightened her grip to prevent him from falling down every so often. "I did not know you liked ice skating." he said after a moment of silent tutoring had passed. "Well, I got an invitation and decided to come here for this TV show called Risky Brain." she explained. He blinked his eyes in surprise and said, "Oh! I got one, too!" "I noticed that the other smart kids in our school also got invited. This may prove to be a challenge. But, I can not help to wonder why it is done on an ice rink." she said. "Maybe they want to try something new and exciting." he suggested. "Maybe, but we will soon find out." she said warily.

The ice began to simultaneously split in half within the rink, causing the skaters to fall upon either their buttocks or knees. The frosted panels rose from their positions and tilted at an angle to cause them to fall into a rectangular tunnel. The skaters screamed in frightened panic or others who attempted to climb the walls but eventually failed during their descent into this revealed pit.


	4. Let the Games Begin

Eliot found himself in a dark atmosphere while laying sprawled upon a slab of cold concrete. He could hear groans of pain from several voices in scattered directions. His arms extended to grope about the area in order to identify his surroundings. One of the hands brushed against a soft and fluffy substance and heard a familiar voice that asked, "Okay, who played with my hair?" He blushed in embarrassment once he discovered the substance was Dawn's hair. "Uh, that was me." he replied sheepishly. The soft shifting of cloth had been released while she grumbled, "Where is that lighter…" After a moment of searching, a slight click pierced the low roar of the crowd and a flame illuminated Dawn's face and hand with a flickering golden glow. She grinned and said, "Now we can see in here." "Do you think that this is the beginning of the game?" he asked, attempting to suppress his fright with a calm façade. "I highly doubt that. This is most likely some psycho trying to fuck with us." she said, warily while extending the flame up to the ceiling and looked upward.

From what they had observed, the ceiling had been the two panels which functioned as doors and stationed at thirty feet above their heads, suspended lamps hung from the borders of the doors. She directed the flame to the ground to reveal newspapers that were haphazardly spread about the surface. "This could be an underground shipping station." he suggested. "It could be…" she said warily. Lights from the suspended lamps activated simultaneously which influenced Dawn to switch her lighter off and return it to a pants pocket. "That is better." she remarked while blinking her eyes in order to adjust to the light.

The lights revealed the once dark room to be a vault full of teenagers, several surveillance cameras and speakers mounted on the walls, and a table in the center of the room. The teens approached the table to see a television and a small video camera pointing at them. Dawn seemed to be the only one of the group bold enough to approach the table and paused once the monitor activated. A oddly dressed man appeared on the screen. He had been dressed in a dark green business suit while wearing black leather shoes, black fingerless gloves with green question marks painted on his fingers, a black fedora hat with a green hat band, and green question marks painted on each cheek. The hat's shadow overcastted his eyes which obscured half of his face. His hands rested upon a black cane. The man smiled to them and spoke in an electronic robotic voice, "I see that that game is starting and there are so many contestants to play with." "Fuck you and your game! Let us out!" Dawn demanded. The man chuckled and said, "A futile effort to be strong. My, you have much to learn." "Why don't you come out and face me like a man instead of hiding in a room like a little boy?" she yelled. He smirked and said, "I am a child at heart and just want to play with you. You may call me The Riddler." "Okay, Riddler. What are your demands?" she asked firmly. "They are easy and as follows…Survive my challenges and you win the right to live. If you lose, you die." he explained. Suddenly, the monitor had been switched off and leaving the screen blank.

The group became frightened and unleashed hysterical panic. A majority of the girls began to cry and desperately prayed to God as the boys began to be silent. Dawn released a heavy sigh while staring that the monitor and closed her eyes in hopes to clear her mind of any distractions. Five minutes have passed as the wailing increased in volume. Dawn inhaled deeply, turned to face the group, and bellowed, "All of you** shut** the **fuck up!" **The girls immediately ceased their sobbing and loud laments, looking to her in appalled shock. "Being emo is not going to get us any where. We have no choice but to play his games since he is the only one who can release us. Let us just keep our heads together if we are ever going to get through this!" she commanded sternly. A Star Trek fan boy who was overweight, featuring brown hair, green eyes with glasses, and wearing a black shirt that says 'Beam me up!' and a pair of jeans approached her. "Who are you to tell us what to do!" he shouted. "Actually…she…she does have a point." Eliot stammered. The other boys murmured, "She is right…Let's listen to her…We need to win…" The boy said, "Okay, little miss bad ass. What's your plan?" "Just listen to me and you'll do just fine, also…Don't piss me off, got it?" she said impatiently.

The Riddler spoke from the speakers, "Here is the first challenge: What can fly with no wings yet goes forward, back, and freeze in any place it wants? Please give the correct answer." "Is it a flying saucer?" a girl with stringy brown hair asked. A loud gunshot had been released from one of the walls of the room, having the released bullet hit her between the eyes, and blowing her head apart in a bloody explosion. Her blood, brains, and eye balls were strewn about the area as the teens screamed in horror upon witnessing the death. "Is it time?" Dawn asked, squeezing her eyes tightly, expecting a bullet to hit her. A moment had passed and the wall from across them had slid open to reveal another dark room. "You are correct. Please proceed to the next room for the second challenge." Riddler's voice said.


	5. Checkmates

This revealed dimly lit room resembled a chess board with its floor being covered in giant black and white squares. The squares were individually painted upon the cement floor. On the other side of the room stood people dressed as chess pieces, each carried a sword. The teens were frightened of this spectacle and began to become nervous. Riddler's voice spoke once more, "Chess is more fun with real pieces. Decide your roles please." "You have to be kidding…" Eliot said nervously. "We have to play no matter what." Dawn said gravely. The Star Trek fan boy said, "Little miss bad ass should be the queen and I will be her king." "I…I will be a knight, if you like." Eliot offered. "Fine with me." Dawn said and claimed her square. The rest of the teens argued amongst each other and within a few moments, they claimed their chosen squares.

"Guests make the first move." Riddler said and chuckled. "I am king so I decide the moves." the fan boy said in a bold manner. "Uh, actually the queen has the most power and she should be the mover." Eliot said from over his shoulder. Dawn inhaled and exhaled deeply while nodding, her face contorting to serious determination. "I will get us through this." she said then turned her attention to the pawns, "Center pawn to my right step forward." A girl with curly blond hair stepped forward slowly while trembling.

Throughout the game, Riddler's voice gave his pieces moving commands as Dawn's voice shouted commands in a bold manner, pausing every so often to ponder the strategy. The teens were traumatized with how much blood was spilt between their teams upon the floor once a piece had been "captured." Riddler's team seemed like zombies with their faces being expressionless and did not hesitate to give their swords to the opposing pieces once it was their turn to be "captured." The captured pieces were stabbed through the chest one by one. The remaining teens shuddered at the sight of the killings while most of them cried in horror and despair. Dawn's eyes were softened by tears yet her face remained in the determined expression while breathing heavily with fists clenched. She was grateful that Eliot remained in tact and had to encourage him to kill the enemy pieces once he had been given a sword.

A half hour had passed during the game play. To the ordinary person it would rather be called a blood bath instead of a friendly game. "Have you given up yet, my blue queen?" Riddler's voice asked. "No way in hell would I do that!" Dawn shouted with pure rage. "You have guts, I admire that." he said with a low chuckle. She commanded the king to be in front of Riddler's king. "Check!" the fan boy said in an arrogant tone. "What? This is not possible!" Riddler protested. "It just happened, deal with it!" she shouted. "Last knight, kill that fat king!" he shouted angrily. "Sorry…" Dawn whispered, scrunching her face as the fan boy had been stabbed. She breathed heavily while dashing forward towards the enemy knight while it stood in front of its king, the pigtails fluttering behind her head like twin banners. The knight gave her the sword and she did not hesitate to slice him in half while he was riding a hobby horse. Her rage fueled her enough to run to the king, slice his head off, and bellow, "Checkmate, mother fucker!" The sword had been dropped while panting and having her face and clothes splattered with blood. "You cheated! Admit it, you little bitch! You cheated!" he demanded. "The only things I cheated on was on tests." she said, wiping the blood from her face with a sleeve. "As much as I hate to say this, you may go on to play the next and final challenge!" he yelled. The wall opened in the same manner by sliding upon a channel.

Eliot approached Dawn from behind her and asked, softly, "Are you okay? Do you need a hug?" She looked to him with the watery eyes that strained to hold back their tears. He offered his arms in a gesturing invitation while showing a sheepish grin. Dawn looked to the ground, a few tears splashed upon a black square, then she quickly stood up, threw herself towards him, and hugged him tightly while sobbing quietly. His arms hovered over her form while they quivered in an awkward way while his eyes widened. The arms began to slowly enfold her into a warm and loving embrace. "Shhh…It's okay…" he murmured, pushing the hair from her moist face. "I did what I could…and innocent people died because of me…" she whispered as the tears flowed freely from her eyes. "There was nothing you could have done. You have won the game so they are avenged." he said gently while cradling her head to his chest. "Yes…But I have not truly won until I get Riddler." she said. "We will punish him together." he said. Dawn began to have a grin emerge despite her anguish and said, "Two heads are better than one that will be on a silver platter."


	6. Game Over

The next room resembled a cavern which reeked of sulfur and offended the noses of the remaining two teenagers. The robotic voice echoed against the walls from a long distance. "This is a maze of wits. All of you are the mice who need to reach the cheese, which is myself. Find your way to me if my dogs will let you." Riddler shouted. "Dogs?…I thought you would send more zombies after us." Dawn said, smirking. "These are not your typical dogs…They are pit bulls and Rottweilers." he explained confidently. The girl chortled for a few moments and soon began to howl with laughter. "Is that the best you could do? Compared to what Joker put me through, this is just a stroll in the park. I might as well pick daisies and sing tra la la while I am it!" Dawn mocked. Riddler grumbled and yelled, "How dare you compare me to that lunatic! He is nothing but a show-boating clown!" "And you are not?" she asked. "Just come and find me if you have more guts than I thought of!" he ordered. "Sir yes sir." she remarked.

"We need to rely on our ears." Eliot said, still holding a sword. She nodded and added, "And walk with our backs to each other to protect ourselves." He smiled and said, "This is like a dream." "More like a nightmare if you ask me." she muttered. "No, it's…uh…never mind, forget it." he stammered while blushing. Dawn raised a brow, her curiosity overcoming the anger from the chess game, and said, "Come on, tell me. It will just be on your mind and you will end up getting slaughtered out there." "You see…I-I-I…" he stammered and then blurted out, "I-I-I love you, Dawn Kingston!" Her eyes widened to the size of golf balls along with her jaw that hung agape. She then began to regain composure as her face contorted to a confused expression and stuttered, "W-w-wait just a minute…**You** love **me**? Shouldn't you be wanting a girl like Britney Fisher? I mean, she is more appealing and popular than me. Why me? I'm just a bad girl who gets in trouble a lot." "Who is also beautiful, funny, strong, and intelligent." he countered, while looking to the ground while fidgeting with his hair. Dawn blushed bright pink upon hearing these sentimental words as awkward as they had been spoken by Eliot. "I am loved?…I thought nobody liked me at all…And to tell you the truth, I…well, have a small crush on you as well. I did not bother to tell you because you seemed to be the type not to go for a girl like me." she said with a sheepish grin and looked away.

He stepped closer to her, lifting a hand to turn her face towards his own, and smiled. "I waited nearly all year to hear you speak words like those. I want to give you something to prove you are not dreaming." he said, softly. Her blush turned from pink to crimson and said, "I probably know what it is." He leaned closer to her face, tilting his head to the side, and whispered, "May I?" "Yes…" she managed to utter, closing her eyes with the heart fluttering against her ribs. His lips slowly touched her soft ones, the kiss being sweet and loving while continuing to hold her cheek. She lifted her hands to hold his face to her own while returning the kiss in a passionate manner. Their lips parted while Dawn gave him a soft smile and said, "Thank you…" "You do not have to thank me." he said, pushing the hair from her face. "I wanted to, the fact that anyone would love me is something to be grateful for." she said and hugged him close.

The sound of clapping echoed against the walls and Riddler said sarcastically, "How very touching! Continue with this dribble and I may vomit a rainbow." The two of them faced the maze with their swords being held in an attacking position. "I would hate to kill dogs." Eliot commented. "Let's knock them out instead." Dawn said. "Good idea, but how do we do that?" he asked. "Easy, we kick them in the head, but I am still holding onto the sword as my trump card against Riddler." she said. "You are cruel, I kind of like that." he said, and chuckled. "Heh, that's just showing mercy." she added while stepping into the maze.

Both of them listened intently for the sound of clicking nails or Riddler's shoes scuffing against the floor. Their hearts beating violently within their chests, being on guard for any attack. Ten minutes had passed while walking in the maze, their anxiety increased with each step. Light pounding echoed against the floor which had been followed by loud snarling. Dawn pushed Eliot into a corner that rested before a threshold of a random passage, while she jumped to the opposite corner. She held up a hand to signal for him to stay in his spot while looking to her with confusion. Her hand then began to have a finger curl to the palm as a message that she is counting down to the cue for them to attack the dog. He nodded to her while preparing himself for an attack. Once the sounds became louder and her hand became a fist, they had kicked the dog in the face with a swing of their legs. The Rottweiler had been launched several feet backwards and skidded upon the smooth ground. "Let's get him while he is down!" she shouted quickly while running. Dawn kicked the dog in its testicles to subdue it in hollowing pain while Eliot sent several punts into the crown of the massive head, rendering the beast unconscious.

They dashed forward toward the sound to a cane tapping on the ground. The maze's several bending paths kept them in suspense, rushing towards their elusive opponent with determination as they clutched swords in preparation for an attack. "We are getting closer." Eliot said during their dash. "I hope so." Dawn said, gravely. They reached a round chamber with Riddler seated in a brown, metal folding chair in the center of the area. He had been surrounded by monitors and held a microphone plugged into a PA system that rested by his chair. "It's about time someone showed up. I had been becoming rather lonesome by myself." the man commented while smiling.

Dawn peered closer to Riddler's face and moments later widened her eyes. "You're Mr. Nigma, aren't you?" she demanded angrily. He chuckled while removing the hat and a miniature device that served as another microphone to alter his voice. "What a lucky guess, my dear!" he said sarcastically in a normal tone. The man had revealed himself to be Edward Nigma. "Why did you set this whole thing up? Was it a personal vendetta or is it something else?" she shouted. "Oh, I am not that petty, Ms. Kingston. Let's just say that I am returning **sunshine **to a certain man." he said, with the same creepy smile. "Joker!" she exclaimed. "You are indeed smarter than you look, my dear. And yes, he sent me to break down your spirit and return you to him. You have been more trouble than you are worth." he explained. "If you think that I am some postal package for you to deliver then you are mistaken, asshole! Your arms will be sliced off before that happens!" she yelled, brandishing the sword. "Oh, I beg to differ." he said confidently while rising from his chair. He lifted his cane by the hook, used the other hand to pull the metal pole down to reveal a katana blade that had been hidden within the accessory. It gleamed from the bright glow of the monitors.

He leapt upon them to strike them with both weapons brandished. The teens could only block every hit with their blades, being on the defensive as this tall, skinny man relentless struck at them in a wild frenzy. He managed to slice their pants and jackets, but became angrier that he could not draw any blood. Eliot could only slice at his arm, cutting a sleeve from his right arm, drawing a red stream of warm fluid upon the floor. In the midst of his distraction, Dawn took the moment to slice at his other arm, hoping to subdue him into enough pain for him to cease fighting. "Damn you both!" he screamed in agony. Another humanoid figure emerged from the shadows who approached Nigma and kicked him in the spine. "Game over, Riddler!" he said in the low raspy voice. "You're late." Dawn said with a smile.


	7. A Semi Happy Ending

The next day, Principal Washington declared through the PA system that school is cancelled for the day due to mourning the loss of so many departed students and attempting to find a new biology teacher. Dawn and Eliot stood at opposite ends of the parking lot, each smiled to hear the news and began to return to their homes. Eliot spotted Dawn from a distance, feeling slightly nervous to approach her, but decided to try to reestablish the romantic feelings they had towards one another during their ordeal. Dawn looked to him with slight surprise, yet could not help but smile.

"Hey." he said casually, with a sheepish grin. "Hey yourself." she said, and chuckled. "May I ask you something?" he inquired, the cheeks being tinged with light pink. "Sure." she replied. Eliot performed a nervous swallowing reflex and asked, "Did you really mean what you said last night before being rescued by Batman? You know, that crush you have on me." "Yes…" she answered while blushing as well. He impulsively jumped in the air and screamed happily, "Yay! Dawn, the bad girl, loves me!" She raised a brow at this action, began to chuckle then laughed heartily moments later. "You're kind of cute like that." she commented. "I am?" he asked, blinking his eyes in surprise. "Yes, you make it look adorable." she added, and laughed again. He paused his triumphant dance to have his entire face enveloped in red and stammered, "I…uh…wow…Did not know I was adorable!" "Not to mention, very sweet." she said, stepping closer to him. He pulled her into a joyful hug and said, "You are a miracle sent to me by heaven, Dawn. May I walk you home?" "O-O-Okay, it's a small apartment though." she said while being released from the embrace, attempting to hold back her rosy pink blush. "It does not matter to me." he said. The two of them joined hands and began to walk the streets. Dawn caught Eliot off guard by hugging him and resting her head on his shoulder during their walk.

Meanwhile, Edward Nigma had been escorted by orderlies through the halls of Arkham Asylum. His arrest had been mind-numbing torture, but not as terrifying as the encounters he had with Gotham City's average criminals that resided within the police station's holding cell. He was a new toy for them to play with in their twisted sexual games. Nigma's anus had been the receiver of several filthy penises, their owners passing him to one another to share amongst each other. What made the sodomy worse had been him being on his hands and knees while a pair of blond German twins plunged a penis in his anus and mouth. Either the words fruit, cocktail, or fresh fish were now forever tainted in his rattled psyche.

Nigma shuddered while still being sore from last night's supposed deflowering in midst of being guided into a cell. He had not resisted and cooperated with the orderlies, running into the dimly lit cell's small bathroom, stripped and discarded his uniform to the floor, and proceeded to bathe after turning the shower's head on. He breathed slowly, attempting to calm his nerves, allowing the hot spray to soothe his muscles, and assuring himself that the torture had ceased. "Calm down, Edward. It is all over now." he murmured, repeatedly in the midst of scrubbing his body. Once he felt clean on a metaphorical level; he vigorously dried himself with a fluffy white towel, dressed in the clothing, and returned to the central room while continuing to mutter his mantra.

"Oh, but it just begun." a familiar man's voice interrupted. He immediately noticed a pair of eyes faintly gleaming from a dark corner of his cell. The man stepped out from the shadows and into the light to reveal himself to be The Joker, his scarred face painted and clad in an orange uniform. Nigma's eyes widened and stammered, "H-h-how did you get in here?" "I have my ways." he replied casually while chuckling. "Let me guess, you came to punish me?" Nigma managed to ask. Joker laughed while shaking his head in dismay and answered, "You make it seem like a bad thing, but I can not help but wonder…" He paused to give an icy glare into his eyes and asked in a soft yet dangerous tone, "Why you failed to bring back my sunshine?" Nigma took a few steps backwards while shuddering, becoming more terrified by Joker. "You don't understand how much of a pain she is! She is a very difficult opponent and cheated me in my own games!" he shouted in defense. He raised a brow while smirking and inquired, "Oh, is that all? Tell me what the little girl did to you." "She humiliated me in the school in front the students, hit me in the face with a newspaper, and sliced my arm! I swear if the devil had a name, it would be Dawn Kingston!" he exclaimed. Joker laughed heartily and said, "She is a little imp compared to what fun I have for you."

He shoved Nigma onto the bed. Squirming of tiny bodies had been felt and seen from beneath the blue and white striped sheet which caused him to tremor in horror. "I invited some miniature guests to keep you company. They are ever so excited to meet you." Joker said pleasantly while pulling on a cord attached to the mattress. With one swift tug, he unraveled a large hole in the sheet to have swarms of beetles, centipedes, spiders, and roaches envelope a screeching and convulsing Nigma. "Get them off me!" he screamed, trying to shake them off his body. Joker laughed hysterically while removing a jar of ants from a pants pocket, unscrewing the lid, and shoved the contents into Nigma's open mouth. "Welcome back, Eddie, we missed you. Have a treat, on the house!" he said cheerfully and exited the cell.


End file.
